The May Report: 5/12/2011: Special report: Handicapping the Handicapped: The ITA’s annual City LIGHTS Award predictions – you saw it here first! Note to Jack Philbin, Irv Shapiro, and others: Stay home. The well booze isn’t worth the trip downtown to come home empty handed; Happy birthday, Josh Hernandez of TapMe Games

Editor and publisher: ron@themayreport.com, ronaldmay@aol.com, www.themayreport.com , 773-525-3944.

Assistant editor: Melanie Adcock, iPHONE: 312-259-0610, melanie_adcock@msn.com

If you missed an article, go here: www.tmronline.com/A55951/tmrarticles.nsf/vwFullNewsletter
______________________________
********************************************

2011 WHITEBOARD CHALLENGE CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

Your Idea. Five Minutes. $5,000 in Cash Prizes.

Are you an entrepreneur or student with a product concept that just needs some recognition to take off?

Are you a scientist or researcher at a university or corporation with a world-changing technology?

Have you been inspired by a novel way to solve a big problem?

If you have a brilliant idea (or know someone who does) that is missing much-needed public recognition, plan to join us at the MIT Enterprise Forum Chicago 2011 Whiteboard Challenge on the evening of Wednesday May 26, 2011.
Each finalist will have five minutes, a whiteboard, a captive audience, and a chance to win $5,000 in cash prizes. This event is the highlight of the MIT Enterprise Forum Chicago spring event season-don’t miss your opportunity to be in the spotlight!

Everyone is eligible to submit their own innovative concept for consideration, and presenting finalists will be selected by a distinguished panel of judges.

This year, we’re pleased to hold the event at the beautiful IBM Innovation Center, 71 S. Wacker Drive, 6th Floor, Chicago.

Presenter applications are NOW OPEN! Deadline for submissions is May 13.

To Submit an entry, click to fill in the Whiteboard Challenge Submission form here:

www.surveymonkey.com/s/White_Board_Challenge

***************************************

____________________

2 Great Events:

The Wireless Revolution Continues – May 18 (free)

The Business of Cloud Computing – June 1

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

The Wireless Revolution Continues (free)

Martin Cooper – Inventor of the cell phone

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

6:00 – Reception / 7:00-8:30- Presentation

IIT ‘s Rice Campus in Wheaton

Please join telecommunications pioneer Martin Cooper, as he explores the Wireless Revolution that started over 35 years ago and discusses the future revolutionary societal changes that wireless communications will make possible.

Martin Cooper is a pioneer in the wireless communications industry, an inventor, entrepreneur and executive. He has been a contributor to the technology of personal wireless communications for over 50 years. He conceived the first portable cellular phone in 1973 and is cited in the Guinness Book of World Records for making the first cellular telephone call. Cooper knew then that people needed the freedom that comes from anywhere, anytime telephony in contrast to being tethered to a desk or a car. He has been referred to as the father of portable cellular telephony and is recognized as an innovator in spectrum management.

Cooper was a submarine officer in the U.S. Navy, a division manager and head of R&D for Motorola during a 29 year tenure. As an entrepreneur he has started a number of businesses including co-founding GreatCall, Inc., maker of the Jitterbug phone and service and ArrayComm, the world leader in smart antenna technology.

Cooper was an inaugural member of the WHF Wireless Hall of Fame; Red Herring magazine named him one of the Top 10 Entrepreneurs of 2000; the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania Business named him a Transformation Technology Change Leader; and he is a recipient of the IEEE Centennial Medal. He was recently awarded the Prince of Asturias Prize for Science and Technology and, in 2010, was inducted into the National Academy of Engineering. He holds a B.S. and an M.S. in Electrical Engineering and an honorary doctorate from the Illinois Institute of Technology on whose Board of Trustees he serves.

While this event is free and open to the public, advance reservations are required. Please contact us at mkoziodo@iit.edu or 630-682-6043 to make a reservation. Additional details at www.cpd.iit.edu/speakersseries.

- – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - – - -

The Business of Cloud Computing

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

8 a.m.- Noon

IIT ‘s Rice Campus in Wheaton

Join us for a Cloud Computing seminar oriented to business and co-sponsored by Illinois Institute of Technology and NewGen Business Solutions Inc.

Key Topics

• Hype vs. reality

• Moving to a cloud-based world

• The Cloud Computing Roadmap

• The Private Cloud: The answer to security and privacy concerns

• How the Cloud benefits business

• Cloud architecture: Operating your full business cycle in the cloud, from CRM to general ledger

Business owners, professionals, senior managers, IT technical staff, and educators should attend this event.

Location

Illinois Institute of Technology

Rice Campus

201 East Loop Rd. , Wheaton Illinois

Wednesday June 1, 2011, 8 a.m. – Noon

Cost

Advance Registration: $40.00

$50.00 at the door the day of the event

Registration includes continental breakfast

Register Today!

Visit www.cpd.iit.edu/cloudcomputing

Questions? Call 630-682-6001 or email pfeiffer@iit.edu

*********************************************

_______________________

****************************************

Going Mobile – Web Content 2011 Conference – June 6 & 7
Gleacher Executive Conference Center – Downtown Chicago

Register here (Fewer than 35 seats remaining)

www.webcontent2011.com/

15 mobile-focused sessions over 2 full days featuring speakers including:

Gian Fulgoni, comScore, Inc. – Today’s Mobile Mainstream
Robert Rose, Big Blue Moose – Context Aware Everything!
Colleen Jones, Content Science – This Mobile Moment
Erin Scime, HUGE – Content Strategist & Designer Talk Mobile

Plus BONUS WORKSHOP:

“Smart from the Start” – Content Strategy ½ Day Workshop by Brain Traffic

“In the world of online content, mobile is the new black! Join national content experts, marketers, strategists, developers and other industry thinkers June 6th and 7th in sunny Chicago at WebContent 2011 www.webcontent2011.com/ .” – CMSWire

*****************************************

__________________________
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Scoop section:

– Handicapping the Handicapped: The ITA’s annual City LIGHTS Award predictions – you saw it here first! Note to Jack Philbin, Irv Shapiro, and others: Stay home. The well booze isn’t worth the trip downtown to come home empty handed: City LIGHTS …or who would Fred and Terry like to suck up to this year?, by Ron May
– Tom Bennett gives us a last minute addition: Antoin “Tony” Rezko IS NOT testifying at USA v. Blagojevich Retrial
_________________________________
***************************************
Social Media Training Workshop
Seats are filling up fast for upcoming “Social Media for Business” Training Workshop starting on May 25. Join us for this interactive online training with live video streaming training for 5 weeks that includes 8 Strategy sessions + 5 How-to sessions with a stellar group of expert trainers.

Some of top Social Media Authors and thought leaders training includes:
Dan Zarrella, Author of Facebook Marketing and Social Media Marketing book
Ramon De Leon, Dominos Pizza
Greg Jarboe, Author of YouTube & Video Marketing: An Hour a Day
Hollis Thomases, Author of Twitter Marketing: An Hour a Day
Krista Neher, SXSW Speaker & Author Social Media Field Guide
Eric Enge, Author of The Art of SEO
Simon Salt, Author of Social Location Marketing
Fionn Downhill, Instructor & CEO, Elixir Interactive
Barbara Rozgonyi, Founder Social Media Club Chicago
Marshall Sponder, Author of Social Media Analytics
Bob Tripathi, Trainer & Industry Speaker
Nicole Duhoski, Social Media Manager
Early Bird Special of $299 through May 10th

Sign-up below:

instantetraining.go2cloud.org/SH6

After this workshop you will be able to…
Learn to create a successful Social Media Marketing Strategy for your business
Be able to put together an Online Reputation Management plan
Able to build community on Facebook in a very scientific manner
Have a clear communication strategy on Twitter
Be able to leverage Location based marketing tools like Foursquare and others
Become a power user LinkedIn expert
Learn to integrate Video marketing as part of your marketing strategy
Be able to understand the importance of Search Engine Optimization(SEO) for Social Media
Learn the future of Social Media Marketing for Marketing ROI
Hear case studies from leading experts and business owners
To sign up and learn more about this workshop please visit:

instantetraining.go2cloud.org/SH6

*********************************
_______________________

******************************************

www.surepayroll.com/

Why Choose SurePayroll as Your Payroll Service?
Because SurePayroll does everything the other payroll services do but in a more convenient and more affordable manner.
+ Payroll Service
Do it yourself, payroll software, traditional payroll services (where you fax or phone in payroll) and limited-service online payroll services all make you sacrifice service or affordability, or vice-versa. We’ve developed technology that keeps our operational costs low and allows us to invest in payroll experts dedicated to helping you so you don’t make any sacrifices. We allow you to process payroll when and where you want. We provide you with online reports. We provide your employees with direct access to their payroll information online.

In short, we provide virtually everything companies like ADP® do for prices small business owners can afford.

******************************************
_____________________________
******************************************

www.vibes.com/

Mobile marketing leaders since 1998

At Vibes, we connect marketers and publishers directly with their customers. We do this using the power of mobile devices, allowing us to connect our clients with their customers at just the right time and just the right place. That’s mobile marketing.

Co-founders Jack Philbin and Alex Campbell started Vibes in 1998 when you couldn’t even send a text message in the U.S. Driven by the vision that phones would soon be used for messaging, they entered the mobile industry the only way they could-through paging. Using capcodes and over the air (OTA) programming, they were able to create sophisticated, targeted messaging campaigns.
****************************************
______________________________
The Scoop section:
___________________
Handicapping the Handicapped: The ITA’s annual City LIGHTS Award predictions – you saw it here first! Note to Jack Philbin, Irv Shapiro, and others: Stay home. The well booze isn’t worth the trip downtown to come home empty handed: City LIGHTS …or who would Fred and Terry like to suck up to this year?, by Ron May

As usual, as soon as the finalists for this year’s City LIGHTS awards were announced the number of attendees plummeted. After all, does even $300 worth of well booze provide enough numbing solace to listen to someone else win an award? I know from personal experience that Fred and Terry just LOVE it when I handicap the awards – so let’s go – here’s a look at this year’s handicapped.

CEO of the Year Award:

Michael D. Alter, SurePayroll HANDICAPPED! – A sure winner – Surepayroll was just acquired by Paychex – and Terry has probably already sent them a few resumes (check the dates on Howerton’s work – his background changes with the direction of the wind).

Adam Caplan. Model Metrics
Niko Drakoulis, Akoo International
Robert Figliulo, SPR Companies
Dave Shea, Corptax
Jai Shekhawat, Fieldglass
Andrew Sieja, kCura

Technologist of the Year Award:

Alex Bratton, Lextech Labs – HANDICAPPED! Fred is on a mission to surround himself with “legit” folks (Sorry Terry, that term doesn’t apply to you) – and Alex is a good starting point. Look for Fred’s lipstick on the seat of your pants after you leave the stage.

Michael Fineberg, SurePayroll COULD YOU BE MORE OBVIOUS HERE FRED? Why don’t you just give these guys your first born while you’re at it! SurePayroll will win one of the categories – it’s just a matter of which one. After all – they’re the premier sponsor!
Laurie E. Lasseter. WMS Gaming
David Rowe, Echo Global Logistics
Mohammad Shahidehpour, IIT
Irv Shapiro, Ifbyphone – Really, Irv? Really? Does whomever put you up to this actually think you’ll win? Did you buy a table? Please tell me you didn’t buy a tux as well. You don’t have enough money and you’ve been around too long. Save yourself some trouble and stay home.

Newcomer Award

TapMe – HANDICAPPED – Everyone’s talking about TapMe – and as far as Fred and Terry know the company has something to do with games. And that’s enough – games are hot – right? Happy Birthday, Josh Hernandez.
:
Apparel Media Group
BrightTag
GiveForward
InContext Solutions
Lextech Labs
SoCore Energy

New Concept Award:

MentorMob, Inc. HANDICAPPED – They used the word Mob in their title which has something to do with people – people talk and are therefore social – ergo (that’s a Latin term, Terry) – they must be a social play. And social is hot. The clear winner.

FanGo Software Systems

Nuvixa PVPower
Red Foundry
Socioclean
VesselTek BioMedical

Rising Star Award:

crowdSPRING – HANDICAPPED Again – social. They won’t give anything to Vibes because Jack’s been around too long – egro (Latin again Terry) – he has no use to Fred (Kind of like the Bob Geras syndrome, I guess).

Aircell
Backstop Solutions Group

Obtiva: Obtiva did work for Groupon, and they have a good track record, however they are a consulting firm. BUT wait a second – did that ever stop anyone from getting the award?

SAVO: SAVO Group has been around for a long time and is not a sizzler anymore. And the high turnover does not help. They are essentially this year’s Acquity Group.

Total Attorneys: A questionable past, they’re clearly out. They’ve had lawsuits and layoffs. Not that that kind of stuff was any problem for Terry. Maybe Fred’s trying to keep up appearances now!

Vibes Media: PLEASE! Jack Philbin is about as young and rising as Regis Philbin! Jack, you’re getting a little long in the tooth to be playing the young upstart card, don’t you think? Has the AARP card arrived yet? Keep looking – it’s on the horizon. Oh and Jack, if you ever did win an award would you give up your board seat on the ITA? Wouldn’t want to be accused of nepotism would you? Look it up. Nepotism applies to both family and friends!

The sleeper here could be Aircell since they are in a very hot space; Ron Kirschner is big on them and they have been inking deals with the major auto makers. And one thing in their favor is that of the non-IT firms nominated, they may have the best shot at big time success and they can’t expropriate hundreds of thousands of dollars from the ITDA without at least giving a nod to non-IT firms in energy or biotech. LeAnne, as the only remnant of the ITDA, has to be given something to keep her happy!

Lighthouse Award:

Groupon – HANDICAPPED Puhleeeeze. Anyplace that has money you can count on a vote from Fred. he probably has sent his resume there as well as Terry. And as for Terry? I don’t think they’ve opened an office in Anchorage yet so your creditors from KC will still be able to find you. And as for your award – Groupon and SurePayroll need an award from the ITA like they need merit badges from the Winona, MN Chamber of Commerce. That’s right Fed, Terry, Sarah, Mary Pat and the rest of you legends in each other’s minds – you’re small fry – this annual fundraiser that you run each year makes only one person smile: the tailor who fits the ever expanding Terry. Trying to give Fred a run for his money?

Allscripts
CareerBuilder

GrubHub
SurePayroll: ENOUGH ALREADY!
Trustwave
vAuto.com

SurePayroll again! Yikes, can’t these guys be more imaginative?

GrubHub is a big success already having raised $35MM and the ITA giving them an award is like MeToo 2.0, as Frank Gruber, Phil Tadros, Jeff Willinger and even Chris Brogan will tell you. Look up the word “laggard” in the dictionary and there is a link to the ITA City LIGHTS Awards. They are usually four years behind and sometimes if they are lucky, they’re a year or two behind. Have they ever been ahead of the curve?

Terry will argue that they did get thepoint.com when they were early on. Right people, wrong company, Terry! FeedBurner was a complete miss and while Howerton was telling me that Tech Cocktail barely gets 15% overlap with the ITA, Tech Cocktail was setting the town on fire and Fred and Terry had to play catch up the next year.

Quite simply, they have no ability to spot talent on the ascendency. By the time they realize it, the company or person is old news and the value of the award is useless That’s it in a nutshell folks.

Allscripts is too big now and most of its employees are not even in Chicagoland. CareerBuilder, a Howerton customer — at least at one time — is so 1999 and just plain boring.

Best Strategic Use of Technology Award:

Allstate Insurance Company: HANDICAPPED Of course- start sucking up to the old guard.

Chicago Transit Authority
Greater Auburn-Gresham Development Corporation
HyperQuest, Inc.
MJSI, Inc.
Parts Town

And the final question that everyone is asking: Is Fred carrying Terry’s baby kangaroo in that pouch under his chin?

This category must be new and where are the nominees for the City LIGHTS Award which has been, at least in years past, the signature award for the whole event.

_______________________________

Tom Bennett gives us a last minute addition: Antoin “Tony” Rezko IS NOT testifying at USA v. Blagojevich Retrial

Subject: Special Evening Edition: Antoin “Tony” Rezko IS NOT testifying at USA v. Blagojevich Retrial
Date: 5/12/2011 5:27:28 P.M. Central Daylight Time
From: tomrbennett@yahoo.com
To: ronaldmay@aol.com
CC: tomrbennett@yahoo.com

Ron:

Please see below-report. Its an incredibly germane takeaway from this afternoon’s retrial of USA v. Milorad Blagojevich.

www.nuclearchicago.com/2011/05/nuclear-chicago-special-evening-edition-antoin-%E2%80%9Ctony%E2%80%9D-rezko-is-not-testifying-at-usa-v-blagojevich-retrial/

TRB

—–
Thomas R. Bennett
Thomas Bennett Limited
Bennett Real Estate Partners
Mobile Money 360°: The Next Generation Commerce Pipeline
NUCLEAR | CHICAGO: Exposing The Real Chicago
312.636.3662

Special Evening Edition: Antoin “Tony” Rezko IS NOT testifying at USA v. Blagojevich Retrial
By Thomas R. Bennett, Special Reporter / Journalist covering the USA v. Milorad Blagojevich retrial for The May Report, and Publisher for NUCLEAR | CHICAGO

May 12, 2011 (5:10p CT)

CHICAGO – As an update to my continuing effort to construct a biography of U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald as well as provide special reporting related to the retrial of Milorad Blagojevich, I am writing this morning to officially report upon and inform The May Report and NuclearChicago readership of the following:

Antoin “Tony” Rezko IS NOT testifying on behalf of Federal Government in the USA v. Milorad Blagojevich Retrial.

At approximately 3:08p (CT), Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) Carrie Hamilton presented the following question under direct examination to Federal Government Cooperating Witness and former Blagojevich Congressional Chief of Staff, and long-time Blagojevich family friend – John Wyma:

AUSA Carrie Hamilton: Who was responsible for fund-raising?

John Wyma’s Response: Lon Monk, Chris Kelly and Rod Blagojevich.

The above-response from Mr. Wyma is very telling.

I am beyond shocked that one of the Federal Government’s Star Cooperating Witnesses intentionally-omitted the mention of Antoin “Tony” Rezko in his response related to fund-raising. This response may, in fact, be another example of a highly-surgical cleansing and removal of all Federal Government witnesses, testimony and evidence that have the potential to cast a negative light upon (and potentially incriminate) either the pending Emanuel Mayoral Administration as well as the Obama Presidential Administration.

There are other telling moments that took place during this afternoon’s trial. Please stay tuned to Nuclear Chicago for more updates, commentary and perspectives related to the retrial of USA v. Milorad Blagojevich.

God Bless America.

–

Thomas R. Bennett is a Citizen Journalist and Reporter for The May Report and Publisher of NUCLEAR | CHICAGO.

_________________________________
END OF REPORT